Wedding website ideas: how to create the perfect virtual space for your big day

Designing your wedding website can be a fun way to build up the excitement to the big day and keep all the important event details in one place for guests. Check out the wedding website ideas below to find your perfect match and make sure your website is just the right blend of personality and functionality.

Options for creating your wedding website
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When you first start looking for a platform to host your wedding website, it can seem like you’re back in the dating world all over again. Each option has its pluses and minuses, and trying to find something that gives you everything you need and want can be daunting. We’ve narrowed down the playing field to give you the most popular wedding website options and tell you everything you need to know up front.

Ready-made wedding website templates

Wedding website templates are by far the easiest, quickest and cheapest method. Well-known names like The Knot, eWedding and mywedding offer a range of free templates to fit your guests’ needs and show off your personality. You’ll start by picking a style that matches your wedding—from quirky and playful to chic and traditional—and then begin narrowing the results by things like keyword, color and related themes. Once you have your template picked out, you can start putting in your information and tweaking the design to fit your tastes.

Wedding website templates usually have space for all the standard details, like the time and date of the ceremony, nearby accommodations, things for guests to do in their downtime and links to where you’re registered. You can fill out or hide other pages as needed. Maybe you want to include a blurb about how you met and the details of the romantic proposal, or upload photo galleries featuring the great times you’ve had as a couple. The only downside to using a template is that you are inherently limited by the options that template offers.

You can also choose to more standard website template, like those provided by SquareSpace or Wix. These platforms are designed to host websites of all kinds, so there are more styles, add-ons and flexibility, however since they’re not specifically for weddings they might require a little more time investment in order to customize.

Squarespace offers more modern design options in their templates, like parallax and large photo backgrounds. However they’re not created exclusively for weddings so may require more legwork to perfect.

Pros: Quick, easy to use, and very little technical knowledge required.Cons: Personalization options may be limited.Cost: $0 to $10 per month, depending on if you want access to premium themes and features.

Content management systems

A CMS can give you almost endless possibilities in terms of design, but if you’re not tech savvy, the setup and backend can be intimidating.

If you’re tech savvy, you can create your own site on an established content management system (CMS) without having to know how to code. WordPress is one of the most popular platforms and has many themes specifically designed for wedding websites.

Once you choose a theme and get your basic design going, working with a CMS system is almost as easy as using a template. However, it will usually cost a bit more in both time and money. You’ll need to buy a domain name and pay for hosting, and some of the better themes must also be purchased. Using a CMS is a great option for visual people who are moderately tech savvy, know how they want the site to look and function, but aren’t sure how to get it there.

Pros: Excellent customization options and the ability to be more in control of the design process.Cons: Time intensive and you may need basic coding knowledge to troubleshoot issues as they arise.Cost: $10 to $100 or more, including domain, hosting, a custom theme, and add-ons.

Custom wedding website design

A custom wedding website allows you to completely personalize your page, like this example by yuri_ak that includes beautiful henna-inspired iconography for an Indian wedding.

If wrangling tech is not your forte and you’re really looking for something one of a kind, it may be worth hiring a graphic designer and developer to help you create a custom site. You’ll have much more input on the overall design and functionality, and can be sure that the final product is unique. The downside is the cost. And while you won’t have to worry about learning WordPress, or spending hours figuring out why your template won’t let you resize your text, a custom site isn’t completely no-maintenance: you’ll need to take the time to find and evaluate potential designers, give feedback on their concepts and provide content to fill out the pages (because they won’t know how you and your Lil Pookey met).

When interviewing potential designers, make sure to ask for a portfolio of recent work and solidify details, such as how many rounds of revisions will be included with the quoted price. Or you could host a Design Contest and have dozens of designers show you their unique ideas for your site, allowing you to purchase only your favorite.

The other thing you need to think about if you go the custom route is who will be responsible for coding the site and updating it once it’s live; while some web designers are also developers, that’s not a guarantee. Make sure you ask! There are also options out there—like our Logo & hosted website—that package custom design and coding together.

Pros: Ability to get everything exactly the way you want it with less time investment on your part (you will need to provide the content and give feedback on design).Cons: Most expensive option and can be a headache if you don’t choose the right designer.Cost: $500 and up.

Tips for personalizing your wedding website design
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No matter which of the above options you choose, you can still make your wedding website as unique as you are. Creating the site around your wedding colors is a great way to show off your personality and give a hint of what’s to come at the ceremony. You may want to consider creating a wedding logo and use that as a jumping off point for your design aesthetic. Overall, a wedding website design should reflect who you and your partner are as a couple, as well as your dreams for your new life together. Small details can have a big impact on the overall feel. Don’t underestimate little design details like fonts and backgrounds. Every square inch of your site is another opportunity to showcase your style and let guests know what to expect from the upcoming ceremonies.

What information to include on your wedding website
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Last but certainly not least, pay attention to your layout and make sure the site is functional for guests. Don’t forget that the number one purpose of the website is to make it easy for guests to access everything. You should prioritize a clean, easy-to-navigate layout so that guests can find what they’re looking for. Must-dos include:

Telling your guests where they need to be when (in time for them to make reservations)

Including links to your registry

Letting people know what they should wear and expect to bring (if you’re having a cash bar, they should know they have to bring cash)

Adding extras, like the option to RSVP online, leave well wishes in a guest book or make suggestions for the reception music

Writing a little bit about yourself and how you met—it will get people excited to attend

Making sure the design is mobile friendly so guests can double check the registry while shopping or lookup the venue address en route to the reception

The author

Kelly is the senior manager of content strategy at 99designs. Previously, Kelly has been a web designer, filmmaker and educator. In addition to researching, writing and editing awesome articles on design, Kelly likes cuddling cats and over-explaining figure skating to people. You can reach her on Twitter @KelMo.